


...Just Like Everything Else

by Snapperoni



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Blood, Near Death Experiences, Pining, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29833707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snapperoni/pseuds/Snapperoni
Summary: Tien and Yamcha share a long history together. For Tien, that history was muddied with utter confusion, wonder- and, unexpectedly, increasingly-undeniable infatuation.
Relationships: Tenshinhan/Yamcha (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	...Just Like Everything Else

“No big deal. Bone’s heal- just like everything else.”

In that moment, Tien could feel his heart weakly thump against his chest as he averted his gaze from the ground to stare at Yamcha, finding a relaxed, carefree smile on his features- sincere in that Tien’s former barbarism was nothing but water under the bridge. He could only stare at him astonished: was it really  _ that  _ simple? Could  _ all  _ of his former crimes really be forgiven so easily? It seemed so as Yamcha gave him a playful jab to his chest, demanding a proper rematch at the next World Tournament. To the request, Tien could only stand mouth agape as he allowed the rather simple display to become processed. 

Throughout his whole life, Tien was taught only that the world was cruel and unforgiving- that if he didn’t replicate that merciless attitude then he would find himself swallowed by society’s unforgiving maw. That he would be used without remorse, treated as though he were only but a doormat to clean one’s shoes upon. He was taught to seek revenge when others wronged you, that should someone cross you then they should be righted through whatever means appropriate. With that logic, Yamcha had every reason and right to seek such retribution from Tien; Tien had not only belittled and taunted him, but he utterly _splintered_ his leg- a move that very well could threaten his entire martial arts career, if not his livelihood in general. 

But no. Instead, he was smiling and laughing with him, the concept of vengeance seemingly non-existent to him. It did something to Tien: it made his head spin with absolute confusion and something else- something he only dared to ponder upon.

However, there was no point in dawdling on the feeling for much longer. After all, he was still just staring at Yamcha fish-eyed. Certainly, such feelings would fade with time, after all: he was merely shocked at the unexpected hospitality. Returning a smile of his own- for the first time not coming forth as a sneer, Tien gave Yamcha a curt nod and a gleeful agreement. 

He, too, was excited for what the future held.

_ “No! _ I-It’s too dangerous!”

It hadn’t even been a full day until chaos wrought all their lives so quickly. Unbeknownst to the group, while the excitement of the tournament enraptured their small world a greater, monstrous threat was being unearthed and unleashed back onto the world. Such a beast coming in the form of King Piccolo- a vile fiend whose only desire was the destruction of others and for chaos to reign true for him and his devilish children. Of course, the immediate reaction to discovering Krillin’s lifeless body back in the tournament hall alongside the demon’s calling card was to seek and annihilate him before he could further his rampage. 

That effort would prove fruitless, at present the small group not only mourning the loss of Master Roshi but Chiaotzu as well- a loss that particularly struck Tien the hardest. His best friend- was taken from him right before his eyes while he fought to even maintain consciousness thanks to Master Roshi’s sedative. As Chiaotzu’s body tumbled to the ground from his failed attempt to cancel Piccolo’s wish, Tien was left in a cave immobile bordering on passing out. He was forced to watch his one and only companion die in an attempt to fulfill a reckless, improvised plan- a plan  _ he  _ thought of. Guilt wracked and clawed at his very core since King Piccolo had departed from the scene, his life rejuvenated and his strength evermore. How could he ever redeem himself and apologize to Chiaotzu for being so careless? For not being enough to protect not only him, but the rest of the world as well?

When Tien announced he would learn the Evil Containment Wave Yamcha was quick to detest the idea, the pair going on to argue the rationale of Tien’s readiness to sacrifice himself if it meant sealing away Piccolo. Coming to the decision was easy in his mind: with Chiaotzu gone, Tien sincerely imagined there was nothing left for him in his life if his friend wasn’t there at his side. But the further Yamcha argued and begged Tien to reconsider, Tien found Yamcha’s attempts at persuasion to become more and more effective. Actually, why  _ was  _ Yamcha’s worry so effective? It especially didn’t help how he looked to Tien so broken-  _ frightened, _ even. It was irrational for him to have become so attached to Tien in the short amount of time they were allowed to be friends, yet here he was proclaiming his own preparedness to die alongside him. Years of being able to quell emotions so easily seemed to crumble as he dared maintain eye contact with Yamcha’s pleading gaze.

With one final insistence on enacting his plan, Tien boarded the plane behind him and began to depart the scene. While the plane rose, he fought with himself to look away from Yamcha, his wide eyes burrowing deep into Tien’s being as they threatened to claw the plane out of the sky and back down onto the earth. However, Tien willed himself to continue his path: this whole situation was far more important than Yamcha’s desires- or any of his own.

He only wished Yamcha could accept that. Not even an hour later, he heard the plane’s radio begin to buzz and blink, Yamcha’s voice coming through as he frantically implored for Tien to answer. The sound easily overpowered the quiet hum of the aircraft’s engine, but also broke the peace Tien was only just beginning to settle into. With a heavy hand, Tien clicked the “accept” button on the dashboard, speaking aloud in the boxed space.

“Come back-  _ please!”  _ Yamcha’s bartering continued, his voice somehow becoming shakier with each word. “I-I’ll master the evil containment wave and fight Piccolo with you!” 

_ Why?  _ Why did he still persist? And why did it hurt Tien so much to hear Yamcha be so passionate for him? Yamcha’s wailing sliced through Tien’s thoughts, causing him to grip onto the plane’s steering wheel tighter as he made one more attempt to bring Tien back. 

“Did you hear me!?  _ Don’t do this alone!”  _ Tien was grateful to hear the radio be jostled and muffled as Bulma took charge of the call- he wasn’t sure how much longer he could have held out against Yamcha’s distraught assertions. Meanwhile she was significantly less emotional about her own, similar request- calmly advising Tien to return. She further explained that they would simply be able to revive everyone with the Dragon Balls and they didn’t need to act so hastily. Had Piccolo not destroyed Shenron once he obtained his wish, then perhaps that solution would have been effective. Nevertheless, Tien relayed the distressing news to the pair, the knowledge causing mumbling and more muffling to crackle over the intercom as Yamcha took hold of the radio once again.

“Then there’s no other way but for us to fight, Tien Shinhan!” Silence disrupted the call. Bulma had already pointed out that if they should die, then that would be it. Even so, Yamcha still persisted; the idea of Tien dying alone seemed unforgivable- too nightmarish to let come to reality if he had anything to say about it.  _ “Did you hear me-” _

That was enough. Tien hung up, letting the aircraft settle back into a suffocating quiet. Once he removed his finger from the button, he hardened his hold on the steering wheel, feeling his hands begin to shake- whether from how tightly he was holding the handles or from his sudden discomfort, he couldn’t discern.

Reliving through the past hour and his squabble with Yamcha, Tien felt the confidence in his decision harden. It almost disgusted him how badly Yamcha’s perturbation affected him- it didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel appropriate. He was given only a day to be with Yamcha, yet in such a short amount of time he found his chest tightening as he thought of Yamcha mourning his loss, potentially even blaming himself for Tien’s impulsive choice. All his life, he made sure to keep his bonds and cares entirely limited: to live life with an open mind, but not to be held back by any attachments. Yet as he urged the plane to glide faster through the sky, he continued to berate his weakness and silently damn Yamcha for being able to so easily break that philosophy.

But that damnation wouldn’t matter. In a few hours, Tien would be dead and Piccolo would be trapped, doomed to spend the rest of his life within a rice cooker. 

These fleeting feelings wouldn’t be a thing to worry about for much longer.

Let it be because of Goku of course that Tien was alive, now resting in the living room of Kame House as Yamcha tended to his wounds.  _ Really, _ let it be because of Goku that Tien was alive: his initial strategy to trap King Piccolo would be doomed from the start as he found the rice cooker damaged from prior practice. Not only that, but Piccolo had gruesomely produced a child right before his eyes, the demon’s purpose to be only to kill Tien- which, had it not been for Goku’s impeccable timing, might have been successful. If such a thing happened, Tien wasn’t sure he would be able to peacefully pass on into the afterlife: he would have failed his mission to protect everyone- and he wouldn’t even have been killed by his target, but by his offspring.

As Tien let his disappointment rise at, once again, being too weak to overcome an opponent, Yamcha clicked the first-aid kit box shut. Setting it aside, the two sat in an awkward silence, their dispute from beforehand mutually present in their minds.

What was he supposed to say? What  _ could  _ he say? Tien had been selfish in his actions: he hadn’t even considered anyone’s feelings when he sought out to kill himself for their sake. In truth, he figured no one would care- how could they? They hardly knew him. Painfully, he learned that not to be the case if Yamcha’s insistence was anything to go off of, his utter dedication polluting Tien’s mind even as he steadily approached Piccolo.

Tien almost wanted to laugh: his final thoughts would have been about Yamcha and how scared he was for him.

He refrained, instead looking down at Yamcha’s lap, unsure of where else to look. Tien used to be so mouthy and brazen, yet in under twenty-four hours he found no words readily present as he tried to make amends with his carelessness.

Yamcha proved himself the bolder person of the two as Tien felt his fingers start to tread up his arm before thoughtfully brushing his thumb against his skin. Tien idly watched while Yamcha seemed to think to himself, his brows furrowing a bit while he squeezed his forearm. Seeming to come to a conclusion with himself, Yamcha pulled his arm forward, ultimately bringing Tien into a tight hug as his own arms slinked around him. At first it was a light hold, but as Yamcha’s confidence seeming to grow he gradually tightened the embrace, leaving Tien moderately confused. Still, he found himself carefully reciprocating the hug, finding his head relaxing against Yamcha’s while he had his back rubbed soothingly.

Was this the first time he was held so... gently? Thinking back, if not blocking blows and strikes then Tien was only ever able to recollect Tao harshly dragging him around or off the ground, meanwhile Shen would only seem to smack him whenever he misbehaved. Truly, this was the first time he was ever shown such delicacy- as though he were fine porcelain that demanded carefulness. Tien found it… pleasant.  _ Fulfilling, _ even. Physically, Yamcha’s grip on him was strong, keeping him close in fear he might run away again. And albeit he was just a bit tinier than Tien, he found it hard to complain as the muscles that were there still did well to hold him tight. Furthermore, Yamcha’s smaller stature made it easier for him to slip into Tien’s lap and wrap around him. Last of all, as Tien sat and enjoyed the tranquil moment he felt as though something within him was completed- like Yamcha introduced the missing piece to his life of a puzzle.

Familiarly, Tien found his heart fluttering- and it was, as always, Yamcha’s fault. He felt himself cared and loved, a feeling he didn’t realize he yearned to have in his life.

Next to him Yamcha mumbled something into his neck, but whatever it was became lost as Tien let the warmth of the hug envelop him, making him- for once, really feel at home. It was only then Tien found the strength to mutter an apology, but Yamcha didn’t seem too concerned with it. He only wrapped his arms around him tighter as a result.

Really, Tien had to thank Goku he was still alive.

So much time had passed since the perils of King Piccolo and, surprisingly, his remaining son. And for some time everything seemed peaceful- awfully so, especially when Tien and Chiaotzu had retreated to the confines of the mountains to further their training. For half a decade everything was well and good, pardon the occasional pang Tien would feel in his chest once he let himself reminisce about his time with Goku and the others. Yet for the most part, he returned to his lonely-pardon-Chiaotzu lifestyle- and, occasionally, Launch, who insisted on following him.

The peace was short lived however as an otherworldly enemy- which would soon turn into  _ enemies, _ threatened the Earth and its inhabitants. For the first time in years, Tien reunited with his friends and, surprisingly, Piccolo- with Goku’s son by his side, nonetheless. Never mind the odd circumstances, he felt just a little younger seeing everyone again. It came to no surprise to him that he was especially happy to see Yamcha, his hair still wild and his scarred face still cherub. Begrudgingly, it was partially intentional Tien had stayed so far away from everyone; as their time together became longer and longer, he found it difficult to squash the butterflies that danced around in his stomach whenever he stared at Yamcha- the butterflies that gusted a hurricane within him when he let his mind drift at night to think of him instead of pursue slumber. It was unfortunate that Tien’s first time seeing Yamcha again in so long was under dire circumstances, but surely he could make up for lost time once their problems were resolved.

Perhaps he should have been careful for what he wished for. Presently, Tien found himself huddled with Chiaotzu and Yamcha within the afterlife as they listened to the odd catfish-esque deity, King Kai. The North Kai had warned the trio that not all four of them- Piccolo being the missing member of the quartet, would be able to return to life immediately. Logically, the choice to first revive Tien, Yamcha, and Piccolo presented itself- out of the four they seemed the best to help their friends stranded on Namek. Though that left Chiaotzu alone- something Tien utterly refused to let happen again.

“If you are going to remain here, then as far as I’m concerned so am I.”

Tien was already dead, but he was sure he managed to  _ ascend  _ death in that moment. It was grating just how Yamcha’s devotion never seemed to be able to escape him, not even in the afterlife. And  _ why  _ was he so devoted? As he would voice in response, Yamcha had Bulma back on Earth: he had someone waiting for him, someone waiting to hold him close and thank everything otherworldly he was able to come back home to her. Yamcha stuttered at Tien’s assertion, but nevertheless stayed resolute in his choice. Yamcha was  _ really  _ willing to throw it  _ all  _ away- throw away not only the relationship he fought hard for twelve years to maintain, but the rest of his life as well. The reason he was so willingly ready to cast it all aside?

_ Tien. _ And that fact made the blood in his veins pulse throughout his body.

Five years clearly proved an inadequate amount of time for Tien to get over his blossoming affections for Yamcha, and his most recent decision did splendidly to reset whatever progress he fooled himself into believing he made. As Piccolo alone was wished back onto Namek, Tien now had to fight with himself with what to do. Because of Yamcha’s mysterious motives, the two would be stuck foreseeably  _ forever: _ there was nowhere else left for Tien to run to, and there was nowhere else left for Tien to hide. There were no more mountains or forests or even the sky itself. Tien would be forced to live the rest of his afterlife suffocatingly close to Yamcha- let King Kai’s dwarf planet be damned to Hell and back.

Growing up, Tien was advised to look out and be cautious of many things: other assassins, mercenaries, expired foods- everything  _ but  _ something as simple as having to confront your feelings head on. And now that they had all the time in the universe, Tien could feel panic building in his body at an alarming rate as that would be his  _ only  _ problem from henceforth.

Death was a lot more fickle than he thought, Tien came to learn. While he did well to coexist with Yamcha on King Kai’s planet, eventually learning to control his emotions and let them lay dormant in the back of his mind, their friends back on Earth had done well to wish the three back to life. Tien’s first decision once his feet felt the plush grass beneath them and the gravity become much lighter around him?

To run. He refused to be around Yamcha any longer than he had to, not even bothering to bid him or anyone else goodbye as he bundled up with Chiaotzu and set out for the wilderness. For as long as he would be able to, Tien would be given time to live his life free of any immediate distractions and he could properly focus on what always mattered to him the most: himself, and Chiaotzu.

Intermediacy for peace appeared to shorten with every major incident as once again he and the rest of his friends were summoned. however. The threat everyone had assumed Goku annihilated back on Namek- Frieza, was apparently on his way to Earth to rouse more trouble. If things were going to persist like this- leaving the area only to come back less than a decade later, was going to resume, then Tien almost considered actually sticking around.

_ Almost. _

Any intention of residing anywhere  _ near  _ West City became obsolete once he saw Yamcha again, his long locks predictably chopped off most likely at the demand of Bulma. And once again, he found himself mourning the lost time they could have shared had he just gotten over his indecorous infatuation- after all, he was given a grand amount of time to do so not only in his direct presence during their time dead, but also in solitude. It only became ever the more insulting when he found his cheeks easily burning to seeing Yamcha’s freshened face. But there was plenty of time to catch up once their issues had been resolved- he would be sure of that  _ this  _ time.

Life continued to throw curve balls and uncertainties as he wouldn’t have to worry about the  _ immediate  _ problem. Much to all of their shock, a mysterious boy had easily resolved Frieza’s potential massacre, the group finding the lavender-haired boy just concluded dicing him- as well as his father, to bits. Seeing that alone, Tien was ready to return to his life alone with Chiaotzu in some unnamable country. Of course, life continued to throw curve balls.

The stranger relayed to the astonished group that even greater menaces would impede on their lives three years from now. With that knowledge, Tien internalized a groan: yes, he was a martial artist at heart and lived to fight and improve himself, but he also knew there demanded times of rest and  _ some  _ leisure- not continuous battle after battle.

Three years had come and gone, and such time warranted plenty of changes. Firstly, Yamcha’s hair had become shorter, now styled, in Tien’s opinion, to better resemble a porcupine than a man. Initially he thought it was some new fashion statement Bulma had readily imposed on him, however that was where the second change came into play.

Yamcha and Bulma were broken up. 

What was even more surreal was that Bulma held a baby in her arms, while still young his features bore concerning resemblance to the odd fellow that visited them beforehand. But family drama could wait, even if the news made Tien feel heinous as he found himself interested with the outcome. Right now, the group was saddled with hunting down the androids their ominous friend forewarned them about.

If only the boy was more clear in what their targets looked like as the team of fighters agreed upon splitting up to search the city. 

Maybe if the boy was more clear on how they looked, Tien wouldn’t suddenly feel a life force rapidly depleting amidst his search. Fear quickly spiked throughout him as he flew towards the dying source, pleading with everything above his nightmare wouldn’t be waiting for him.

But the world was cruel. By the time Tien landed within the flame-engulfed clearing, he could feel his blood turn into ice as his eyes laid upon the scene before him. Certainly, he found the androids. 

And the androids had found one of them as well.

Tien felt bile rise in his throat as he saw that one be Yamcha, the more weathered of the mechanical duo having his hand pierced right through him.

Like the blood stilled within him, Tien’s whole body was frozen. He couldn’t find it within himself to do anything: not yell or scream or even  _ move-  _ he was sure he couldn’t even blink, unable to tear his eyes from the gruesome scene for even a moment, Yamcha’s dribbling blood becoming hauntingly mesmerizing.

In due time the other fighters found themselves at the location, Goku’s own bellowed anger dragging Tien out of his horrified state. Right: the androids. The androids responsible for the great harm thrusted upon not only Yamcha, but to the other civilians of West City.

Goku, having barked at Krillin to do so- who respected the order with understandably nauseated hesitancy, removed Yamcha from the area to be healed. Watching Krillin and Yamcha disappear into the horizon as nothing but orange dots, Tien could only fret over Yamcha’s mortality as Goku demanded their impending fight happen elsewhere to spare everyone else of the androids’ carnage.

Tien walked off the aircraft just behind Yamcha who, thankfully, made a complete recovery. Watching Krillin disappear into Kame House, Tien made it a point to thank him at some point; had Yamcha succumbed to his wound with no more Dragon Balls left to bring him back to life…

Standing at the aircraft’s base, Tien watched Yamcha crack a joke with Piccolo before the irritated latter of the two made his way into the home.  _ Chaotic  _ was the best way to describe the past few hours, and in all that time Tien wasn’t able to properly spend time with Yamcha. Hearing him laugh- him even being  _ alive  _ to still laugh, unearthed the recurring feeling Tien continued to struggle against. Without much of a thought, Tien called out to him, earning a wide grin from Yamcha who was still recovering from his own jest.

But now that he had Yamcha’s attention, what now? Tien’s mouth was quick to dry as Yamcha continued to look at him, his smile relaxing into a casual grin. Standing around with Yamcha when there were greater things to worry about should have made Tien furious with himself: if he wanted to say something, he should do it now before anything else happened.

Alternatively, his vocal chords entangled themselves into a messy knot, instead only finding himself giving Yamcha a wide-eyed look. He couldn’t decide whether to curse or bless Yamcha’s empathetic nature, for soon enough he was slowly making his way to stand in front of Tien, taking his hands away from his side to hold onto them. Giving them a gentle swing, Yamcha quietly waited for Tien to say- or even _ do, _ something. It was eerily familiar: one of them had just come back from the precipice of death, and Yamcha was having to comfort Tien over it. Things would end differently this time, Tien decided.

Yanking his hands free from Yamcha’s, Tien took the initiative to grab him into a tight hug, allowing his hand to become entangled in Yamcha’s hair while his nose buried into his neck. He didn’t say a word: he only clung to Yamcha as he realized this must have been how Yamcha felt all those years ago when Tien’s own life was at stake. Yamcha must have realized his conclusion as he felt him smile against his cheek, his own hands coming up to return the hug. Just as he did back then, Yamcha’s hands caressed his back while he whispered promises to stay and apologies for scaring him.

Yamcha having so effortlessly understood his anxieties, Tien’s hand tightened in his hair as he buried himself in the embrace further. When had he become so easy to read? Was he  _ always  _ this easy to understand? Or was it that Yamcha had invaded his life so slyly and had figured the man out himself? The walls he so tactfully assembled had become brittle, deteriorating into dust as his weaknesses and vulnerabilities became so open to Yamcha as if he was just a library book to take off the shelf.

When Tien was faced with the idea of losing Yamcha forever only to find him now safe in his arms, he came to a liberating conclusion: he was in love with him. Of course, he harbored similar, paternal feelings for Chiaotzu, so these were far from comparable. Since their youth, Tien had watched Chiaotzu grow up and had done his best to protect and care for him like a brother. But Yamcha? Yamcha did something else to him entirely. Had Tien really pursued a life as an assassin, he was sure no one but him alone could effectively stop his heart, and he would only need to look at him. He would only need to hold his hand, or make a foolish comment for the environment around him to stop as he admired his own world. His world that was far from perfect, that sometimes had trouble reading the room or was just overall clumsy with his words. None of that mattered to Tien, however: he was a simple man, after all. And so long as he was able to hold Yamcha in his arms, then he would be beyond elated and forgive- if not adore, his imperfections.

Nothing was forever, of course. Eventually, Yamcha let go and urged Tien to follow him into Kame House.  _ Right: _ they  _ still  _ had to take care of the androids. They would have time to hold each other at some other point.

_ Seven years. _ It had been seven,  _ long _ years since Tien saw Yamcha. Now before him stood a man in his early forties, the signs of age beginning to show as Tien found bags beginning to develop under Yamcha’s otherwise bright eyes, crows feet from excessive smiling and laughing threatening to further texture his face.

None of that mattered to Tien, however: he was a simple man, after all.

Their most recent ordeal had proven to be grueling and hellish. The supernatural entity known as Buu had escaped his confines and had done an astounding job at destroying the planet and everyone upon it. Hope was certainly lost on all, and that alone was surely bad enough. Yet the possibility that Tien would have to die without ever telling Yamcha his earnest feelings had disturbed him the most.

But everyone had made it out of Buu’s rampage alive, in the end: every single last person was alive and well, the rest of the pair’s friends celebrating at Bulma’s abode as was typical of any of their parties.

With all of their issues resolved, there lay one last thing to settle.

Yamcha looked up at Tien, a bashful smile present on his lips. He sheepishly rubbed at his hair, making some comment about changing things up, quietly asking if Tien found the look okay.

It didn’t matter to Tien how Yamcha styled his hair. It didn’t matter to him what clothes Yamcha wore or the car he drove or the house he lived in. Taking a quiet step towards Yamcha, Tien grabbed his hand and pulled it free from his hair, cradling it within his own as he let his thumb brush over the rough knuckles. Admiring the worn skin and the journey Yamcha embarked to receive such calloused knuckles, Tien smiled to himself.

Having been entranced by Yamcha’s hand, Tien heard a cautious cough from in front of him, looking up to find Yamcha’s gaze looking downward as he flexed his other hand open and closed. Building the courage to look up through his long lashes, Yamcha gave him an abashed grin. In all the time Tien had come to know Yamcha- just as the man had learned all of  _ Tien’s _ quirks and mannerisms, Tien had learned of Yamcha’s little ways and traits- and his ways of asking for something.

Removing a hand to position it under Yamcha’s chin, Tien delicately tilted his head upward to properly look at him. Given a better view, Tien felt his smile widen as Yamcha tried to keep his own excitement at a minimum as he bit at his lip, eventually giving up and letting his mouth form a dopey grin.

For nearly two decades-  _ twenty years,  _ Tien was sure he had pictured this a million times. He had pictured holding Yamcha close to him, his onyx eyes returning his gaze with nothing but pure infatuation. Leaning in, he planted a soft peck to Yamcha’s lips, both inexperience and self-admitted shyness letting the kiss turn out much more gentle than he planned. Guiding his hands to cup his face, Tien tried to make up for the awkward start as he deepened the kiss, firmly planting himself against Yamcha. The moderately-more experienced of the couplet, Yamcha let his own hands meet Tien’s face as he properly guided him around their mouths’ movements.

Imagination was an insulting substitute for the real thing, Tien decided. If he were allowed, he would be more than happy to just stand in Bulma’s interior yard all day and keep Yamcha in his embrace as he let years of repression decay and years of want fully come to the surface. But nothing could last forever- breathing was a necessity, something Tien forgot to do amidst their passion.

Pulling away, Tien looked down at Yamcha, his face flushed and his mouth a bit agape to catch his breath. To that, Yamcha beamed and gave a light giggle as he brought Tien’s face down to smooch the tip of his nose. While he kept him to his level, Yamcha casted Tien’s third eye a flicker of a glance before bringing Tien’s head down further, decidedly kissing the eye’s lid. Coupled with their first kiss, the overall loving attention made Tien’s face blaze as he heard himself mumble incoherencies: he wasn’t sure if saying “thank you” was appropriate, nor was he sure how to actually say the words he’d wanted to say for years.  _ I love you. _

Yamcha seemed to understand, however. Bringing Tien’s two eyes back up to meet his own, he broadened his grin one last time before resuming their kiss, gently moving his lips against Tien’s as he wrapped his arms around his neck. Everything leading up to that moment proved to be worth it: the years of confusion, frustration, and yearning- the moments of fear and agony were all behind Tien as he was finally able to let his feelings be enacted, sliding his hands down Yamcha’s body to hold onto his waist and support his back as he leaned him back a bit to return his affections.

The future, as it turned out, ultimately offered the absolute best for him- and it was only starting to show him the beginning.


End file.
